Friday, February 5, 2016

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

My husband and I love the flavors of Chinese and Asian cuisine. One of the first recipes I ever made in a wok years ago was Beef and Snow Peas. When I saw this recipe for Mongolian Beef on The Woks of Life (a wonderful site if you enjoy Chinese and Asian food), I knew the piece of beef tenderloin in my freezer had a purpose! Although flank steak is traditionally used to make Mongolian Beef, the beef tenderloin was tender and delicious. I added snow peas to the stir fry and cooked my favorite brown rice to round out the meal.

It was a delicious meal! The meat was all at once sticky, sweet and sour with just amount of sauce coating the perfectly seared and
tender meat. My husband's
comment after dinner was "We can have this anytime." I love to hear that!

Mongolian beef is actually a Chinese-American restaurant creation and has nothing to do with real Mongolian cuisine, I found. It became very popular served in one of the more well-known changs...oops,l I meant chains :) You will find that it is very similar to Chinese Orange Beef, without the orange.

Chinese New Year 2016 is officially celebrated from February 8 - 13. While the United States prepares for the big Superbowl game on Sunday, China will be preparing for the Lunar New Year - The Year of the Fire Monkey. Many Chinese people travel to their home towns during the annual celebration to visit their families. Recently, a rare snowstorm resulted in over 100,000 (yes, that number is right!) people stuck in the Guangzhou train station. Talk about a travel nightmare! Hopefully, they've all made it to their destinations and will soon be enjoying their favorite authentic Chinese meals with family.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice or noodles of your choice according to package directions. Set aside while cooking the beef.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add
the snow peas and toss until still bright green and just slightly
browned - about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and
remove with a slotted spoon to a platter and set aside.

Add 1/3
cup of oil to the same pan and heat again. Just when the oil starts to
smoke, spread the pieces of beef evenly in the pan, and sear for 30
seconds to 1 minute (depending upon the heat of your pan) until you see a
crusty coating. Turn over and let the other side sear for another 30
seconds or so. The beef should be well-seared and browned. Remove to a
baking sheet lined with paper toweling. Prepare in two batches if
increasing the recipe.

Drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1
tablespoon behind, and turn the heat to medium. Add the ginger and red
pepper flakes. After about 15 seconds, add the garlic. Stir for another
10 seconds and add the soy sauce and chicken stock (or water). Bring the
sauce to a simmer, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved.

Let
the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes and slowly stir in the
cornstarch/water mixture and stir until thickened. Add the seared beef
and scallions and toss everything for another 30 seconds or until there
is almost no liquid left. Add the beef mixture to the platter with the
snow peas, garnish with the additional scallions, if desired, and
serve.

My Notes: I added a splash of Cabernet wine when adding the liquids to the stir fry as I had an open bottle handy and it felt like a good idea!.

I love to hear that too..I love asian recipes..and that blog is lovely..I will try this..my last asianish dishes were cloyingly sweet.I must admit I am craving General Tao..not home made..I love it home made..but so many steps for the best..I think I will throw caution to the wind and go to Rouge in Feb:)

Looking good Susan:)I am nuts about Szechuan peppercorns..I might add? What do you thik?

Oh my goodness, it's already Chinese New Year time of year? Where does the time fly? We so love Chinese food and need to prepare it more often at home. Cooking in a wok is so much more healthy for us and the veggies are always so crisp and bursting with color and natural flavor. Thanks for sharing!xoxo

We love this, I made it last week. I do add the wine and a splash of OJ to brighten it up.I don't use filet mignon though, that must be decadent! I use a cheaper cut and simmer it till tender.Looks wonderful! Happy year of the monkey!

Beautiful photography, Susan! I don't often make Asian foods, but like to eat them. Mongolian Beef is Howard's favorite, he always orders it. I will try this as it looks like something not real complicated like some Chinese recipes.

My son told me about the stranded. He said this is the biggest human migration in the world. He is very happy right now in Shanghai, because he said it is like a giant ghost town. And it is so quiet! Love this dish. I don't eat beef anymore but it used to be one of my all time faves!

My husband loves Mongolian beef but have to say I've never even thought to make it. After seeing this I think I'll surprise him with it one evening. Thanks for the inspiration. I hope you're doing well.